Processes of Growing Nasturtiums

November 16, 2023November 16, 2023 Farmer authors 0 Comments

How to Grow Nasturtiums?

Nasturtiums are one of the most impressive, colorful, and scented plants in your indoor space; they are incredibly attractive and come with warm colors.

But, how to grow nasturtiums? Where do they grow the best? Let’s consider planting them in a pot or other containers. How long do they usually take time to grow fully?

How big can they get in their maximum size? Is it necessary to leave a large space for them in the first place so we do not need to move them somewhere bigger?

About nasturtiums

You can always see them all in large quantities, in containers, covering the ground, or even in the gardens; due to the high popularity of their kinds, it is like people worship them.
Another reason so many people are attracted to having them in their gardens is that they want to use them as traps to keep bugs and other harmful creatures away from their vegetables.
Then, those creatures would try to avoid nasturtiums so the garden would be safe and sound.
They are also very beloved by pollinators such as bees and butterflies; their colors and scents appear most attractive to them so you would have a lot around you.
You can see nasturtiums grow as annual plants many times, but in a few cases where you can find frost-free zones, they might be perennialized, which is rare and does not happen often.
From the beginning of the summer to the pinnacle of fall, you can see them blossoming in a very fulfilling and colorful way, which means that in about a year of their lives, they cannot live much longer.
You might know nasturtiums in red and orange color, but that is not all; they can be crimson, pink, purple, and, most of the time, a combination of two or even more colors, which is fantastic.
Now, one point might encourage you to choose them: nasturtiums are easy to grow, and to compare many plants, you might want to plant them in your garden, container, or room.
That would give extra credit to novices, and amateur people are thinking about doing it for the first time, so they do not need to worry about any challenges caring for it.

What are the types of nasturtiums?

Even though you can find a wide variety of nasturtiums being pant worldwide, note that generally, they are divided into two groups: trailing or climbing types.
Now, it matters when you grow to trail and bush types of nasturtiums because before you start doing it, you need to know the features and terms of each kind to decide.
As you can see from their name, their main difference is their growth habit! So, it depends on where you live and your climate, so it differs from what you can control at high levels.
Trailing kinds usually form long vines and bush, but the other one, bush ones, prefers to go on more compact; maybe that is why they are also called “Dwarf”.

Nasturtiums as edible flowers!

It is one of the most interesting and unexpected features of nasturtiums: they are edible!
Their leaves, flowers, and seedpods are all fine to be eaten, and that is one amazing fact you might not know, so it makes your garden more beautiful and gives you extra benefits.
You can chop them off and use them in a salad; that can be an incredible additive and make it even more delicious than it already is due to its special taste and color.

Planting the nasturtiums

Planting and growing nasturtiums are always some of the biggest challenges of keeping this plant in your house; if you want to keep it right, you need to plant it right, so here we go.

Planting them in an area that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight daily is a great idea because it will be extremely effective for how well they grow later.

Here is the point: They can grow in the shadow or under 6 hours of sunlight, but in that case, they would not be as dreaming as you pictured and may come with less blossoming.

When it comes to soil, you only need to bother a little since nasturtiums will be grown anyway, even if you are planting them in soil not rich in elements and goodies.

Pay extra attention to the nitrogen since the more nitrogen it has, the bushier it will get in the future, so set it in the correct amount and try not to forget about it at all costs.

When to plant nasturtiums?

There are usually two places for growing nasturtiums in-house: outdoors, which is more recommended, or indoors. You can choose one depending on your conditions and then start.

As their root are vulnerable and sensitive to transplanting, it is best to plant them directly.

IndoorYou can start planting your seeds four weeks before the last spring frost date since it is the most appropriate time and the seeds are in their most functional mode in indoor places.

However, putting them in the greenhouse will be fine because you monitor the temperature.

Outdoor

Outdoor, Things are a little different. To grow nasturtiums, you must wait until one or two weeks after the spring frost date!

Because during this time, the soil temperature is most likely to be suitable.

It needs to be somewhere around 12 to 18 centigrade; the seeds will appreciate it by growing in the best way possible.

Where to grow nasturtiums?

Nasturtiums are not the most sensitive plants regarding their planting location. However, there is still one factor you need to be careful with the sunlight they receive.
They are more likely to fail in their blossoming when they are not exposed to sunlight for more than 3 to 6 hours every day, but sunlight in nasturtium growth is not the only factor that matters.
Avoid over-fertilizing because it will not work well for these pretty plants.

How to plant nasturtiums?

There is no specific instruction for planting nasturtiums; however, consider the upcoming tips and tricks if it is your first time.
You need to plant seeds at half of the inch depth in the soil; in addition, they need to be approximately 10 to 12 inches apart so they would have enough space to grow without needing to remove them.
In case you plant the nasturtiums correctly, it is expected to see them appearing after 7 to 10 days.
One more important thing here is to water the soil right before planting as well as you can; this will ensure you do not wash and ruin the seeds after you plant them, which is very common.
It is also doable to plant your seeds in a vase since it will be as pretty as you imagine, but here is the deal: you need to provide a deep one because you are planting them 9 centimeters down.
Note that distance does not matter here, as you are considering one specific vase for each group of seeds that will be planted in that environment.

Watering freshly planted nasturtiums

As it is referred to many times in this essay, nasturtiums are easy to grow, which means they do not require any specific attention, so even the watering is less challenging than you might think.
If you plan on planting your seeds in the ground and outdoors, they would need to be watered very seldom, so a common mistake you must avoid could be over-watering them.
On the other hand, in containers, things are much different! Plants need to be watered more regularly, as you want to avoid seeing the compost get dried; that is one reason to make it harder.
Keeping your plant balanced in watering is impossible, especially at the beginning, so you must be patient and inspect your plant more often.
Once you discover how it works and see a connection between watering the plant and getting fresher, you no longer need to worry about that; it will not change.

Growing the nasturtiums

Now, here we are with the most challenging part of every plant lover, the growing and caring part, which most of the time is not getting serious, while it matters so much, my friends.
We are already done with the watering part, but again, it is worth another reference: keep watering your plant regularly but watch out for overwatering and its later consequences.
The purpose is to make nasturtiums grow in moist soil, even though they are highly drought tolerant, so they can perfectly cope with drying and lack of water.
If you do not keep them watered, the blossoms will be less tasty, so when you see it is keeping the appearance well, it does not necessarily mean everything is still perfectly fine.
It is also a good idea to chop them off here and there, as it encourages the plant to create new ones and keep it on its feet, which is great news to any plant lover, including you.
They are also sensitive to heat, so remember that summers can always be challenging because they can easily change the taste of their blossoming or, even worse, prevent them from opening.

Harvesting the nasturtiums

Why not? As long as we know they are edible, we can harvest them, but it is very important to remember that harvesting in nasturtium growth also has some rules, except for leaves and flowers.
Those two elements do not need any time or condition limits to make it hard and complicated to harvest, but things are different for seedpods, as they have covers, which matters here.
Note that seedpods need to be harvested before they mature because their cover is getting harder, and the harvesting process would be filled with many troubles.
You can always use scissors to remove leaves, flowers, and seedpods. In this way, you are sure your plant will not receive any damage, which is the main purpose at all costs.
If there is still time for your seedpods, and you can see them getting mature, do not worry because harvesting is not always about the edible aspect; many other ways remain.
Growing nasturtiums and harvesting their products is always possible; even the mature seedpods can be planted next spring and make new plants on their own!
If it is hard to access them, there is even an easier way. If you let them get dried up attached to the plant, they would fall off it automatically, so there you go.

Storage the nasturtiums

It is natural for you to want to store the seedpods or other products you have harvested from your plant, but what conditions do you need to provide for these things?

Well, all you need to store the nasturtium products is just one cool, dry place to keep them for the next spring, then you can place them under a soil layout as explained.

It is also self-plant, so do not be surprised if you see some of them growing around your plant in the next year; note that you can always remove them easily if you do not want them.

Problem-solving the nasturtiums

Problems can always be irritating when planting, growing, and caring about a plant, so let’s take a closer look at nasturtium problems that might be caused or already done for you.
It is always delightful to see butterflies hanging out in your gardens and flying through your pants, but is that always good? Well, not as long as we are talking about cabbage-white butterflies!
They are white butterflies that can be big or small, that lay their large greenish eggs under the leaves, then after some while, they turn into caterpillars that rapidly eat the leaves.
How do we handle this problem in nasturtiums growing? You can keep checking your plant for these eggs and eliminate them, or at least transfer them to those plants you have no concerns about.
Another problem is that your plant can be an interesting target for aphids, particularly blackflies, which are not wanted visitors, but even this problem has some solutions.
You can use some sprays, or even easier, let the ladybirds, hoverflies, and lacewings remove them off your way because all three of them lay eggs on aphids, and their kids eat them instantly.
However, what matters the most about problems of nasturtium growth is that you act as soon as possible and do not wait too long for symptoms to be removed; it depends on you.

Nasturtium varieties to grow 150

As mentioned at the beginning of the essay, nasturtiums have many species, so you should be familiar with each kind to see which one suits you the best.

Here is a brief explanation regarding two types of the nasturtiums:

Empress of India

This sort is a bit bushy, so you can have them indoors since you know they will not get too tall; the flowers are also impressive! They are red and crimson.

The leaves are dark, and its dwarf version is “Princess of India.”

Alaska Mixed

Another nasturtium species to grow is Alaska Mixed, which you are probably curious about the naming, but more importantly, their flowers’ colors are interesting.

It produces yellow, cream, orange, and red flowers, and its combination can be so breathtaking that you will never forget that lovely picture.

Final words

It is relatively easy to grow nasturtium successfully if you are a responsible plant-lover!

Is it an appropriate plant for you to raise it in your house? What could be the biggest challenge on your way to growing nasturtiums? How are you going to solve it?

Which color or species would you go for in this case? Is that just because you found them more attractive, or do you have other reasons up to your sleeves?

Share your comments and experiences with us and others about “How to grow nasturtium?”